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A Federal grant will help provide the Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Department with additional personnel.

MFRD Chief Mark Foulks received a call about the grant from Senator Lamar Alexander’s office Thursday.

The department was awarded a Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) Federal grant in excess of $2.8 million.

MFRD officials said the grant will be used to hire a total of 27 firefighters. They added it will aid the MFRD with meeting the National Fire Protection Association’s recommended minimum staffing standards.

This grant means the department must maintain staffing levels and have no lay-offs during the first three years.

The funds cover 75 percent of the annual cost for a new firefighter in the first and second years, and 35 percent of the annual cost in the third year.

Once that three-year period is complete, the City will be responsible for the funding for those positions.

The grant totals $2,840,009, and the City will contribute a cost match of $1,765,408 during the three-year commitment.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Department of Homeland Security for awarding us this grant,” said Foulks. “This money will aid us in meeting NFPA staffing standards, further enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the services we provide to the community.”

Department officials said new hires will be selected from an existing list of qualified applicants, and the positions will likely be filled in November.

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